Strength
by bambi eyes
Summary: Cass loves to swim, but aftera terrible accident she dosn't know if she can continue- r&r-full sum, inside!


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a/n: hey guys & girlies! This is my first . . .ummm . . .story. It really doesn't have a category, so I just put it under this one. Please please **please** read & review!!!! Even if it's short. But yah!! So- review @ the end & enjoy!!!

Summary: Cass is the youngest out of 5 siblings and she feels that the only thing she is good at is swimming. But after a horrible accident that includes a family member in water, Cass doesn't know if she can return to the sport she loved. (It'll get better- I promise!)

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Strength 

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Lindsay Rucker and I lay sprawled out on my bed, casually flipping through copies of seventeen and teen people, singing along under our breath to the radio that was blaring. I wasn't really a fan of music, but since Lindsay couldn't walk into a room with out music playing, it was on, blasting lyrics that I couldn't follow. 

"I hate her so much." I looked over to where Lindsay's perfectly manicured finger was on the face of the newest star in Hollywood. I narrowed my dark blue eyes; the actress was very pretty with a sexy red dress, thin and wearing killer pink shoes. Just everything I wanted. 

"Doesn't she just bug the poo out of you?" my best friend asked, brushing her chocolate brown bangs out of her face. She cast a glance down at the glossy page, gave a look of disgust and flipped the page. I was about to open my mouth and ask what bugged my buddy so much when my sister knocked loudly at the door and pushed it open.

"What?" I asked, somewhat rudely as Alicia, my 18 year old sister stepped into the room, looking simple but beautiful in a pair of tight jeans, an orange and pink tank top and a chunky glass ornament hanging around her neck. I felt somewhat sloppy in my old pair of red PE shorts and a black tank top that had been handed down from my many sisters. Alicia was very pretty with dimples in her cheeks and long sooty lashes that fringed off her bright blue eyes. But as naturally beautiful as she was, it was no way matched by her love-me-or-die attitude. 

"It's your turn to set the table." She said coldly, smirking with her pink glossed lips. She was rude, even more so than I, and that was saying a lot. 

"OK- thanks bunches." I said sarcastically as she left, her golden ringlet's bobbing behind her.

"If there is any one who bugs the poo out of me, it would be her." I mumbled. Lind heard me and smiles softly. She dropped her glance from my face back to the magazine. 

"I don't see why you guys can't get along." She said, green eyes not looking up from the page.

"It's different for you." I sighed in deeply, rolling off the bed . At least Lindsay didn't have to live with her. 

Lindsay and I had been best friends since the fifth grade. We were for the most part, completely different except for a few things: 1. We were both madly in love with Orlando Bloom (His beautiful face was tapped all over my room.) 2. We had marathons of Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and Chicago, our favorite movies 3. We scribbled meaningless poems onto scraps of paper, only for them to be thrown away by our mothers when doing laundry. 

We grew up pretty different; she was a well-off family with the only siblings being her and her older brother Logan. Her parents were conservative and not the most relaxed people you'd find who would chew her out if she got B's. I was the youngest of five siblings, all girls. My parents were loose and comfortable who only got on my back if I was failing. Lind, it seemed, was always buying new, expensive clothes or make-up and never left the house until her face was entirely made-up. I always got hand-me-downs from my sisters and rarely wore make-up and even then it was mascara and lip-gloss. Sometimes I don't know how we manage to hang-out with all of her drill team practices and my swim team practices, but we still managed to go to the games that she was performing at, and she came to my meets on Saturdays. it's crazy, but I guess that a crazy plan works for crazy people. 

Lindsay shut off the music and followed me downstairs where my family was spread out. Mom was in the kitchen where amazing smells of vegetarian casserole came to my nose, making my mouth water. Alicia was chatting animatedly on the phone, smacking gum and watching friends in the living room at the same time. Nicola, who was Alicia's twin laid in front of the TV on the floor in soffee shorts and a faded t-shirt, pulling her legs high above her head, stretching for the next track meet. Devin, my 15 year old sister and about to be sophomore had her high level math books laid out at the kitchen table, her dark eyes narrowed in concentration. Dad, who worked as an airline pilot was on the family computer, checking his schedule for the month of April. 

"Cass!" Mom's eye's snapped up to find me and Lind coming down the stairs. "Will you please set the table?" I mumbled my reply as she continued, "Alicia- get off the phone! Lindsay- how nice to see you honey! How's your mom?" Lind opened her mouth to chat, but before she could say anything, mom was talking again, "Devin- will you move your books please so that your sister can set the table? Yes Cass, we need spoons. ALICIA! Get off the phone!!!" my house was always like this, crazy and chaotic, but I loved it. You could never be bored and there was always a funny story to tell at school the next day.

I set the table after Devin had moved, slouching over to the couch and smiling slightly at our favorite TV show. Alicia finally said goodbye, hung-up and all three of them watched it eagerly, laughing along, Nicola the most, and Devin the least. 

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I turned around and asked Lind, but knew that the answer would be negative. Her parents weren't fond of sleepovers on short notice, even on Fridays. 

She pulled a face and wrinkled her nose. "Nope- I can't." she said, gathering her black flip-flops and putting them on her feet, "I have a killer Spanish test on Monday that I have to study for." 

Nicola turned around to face us, her curly blonde hair tied up in a knot on top of her head. "We know Spanish don't we Cass?" her pretty face broke into a smile, just as mine did. We had "learned" Spanish one night when we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Nicola and I had excused ourselves to the bathroom, where as you peed, a tape taught you simple phrases such as: I'm hungry, I need a table, and I have reservations for two. We memorized them and went back to the table where we laughed along with the waiters as we recited them. Just thinking about it made me giggle. Nicola laughed out loud as Lind rolled her eyes, knowing that my sisters (well . . .except for Devin) weren't smart enough to take Spanish. 

I walked Lind to the door, where we promised to meet at my swim meet tomorrow, and then hang-out Sunday. She left, getting on her bike and peddling home to the next block where a quiet family and strict diet food would be waiting. 

I walked back to the kitchen, where it seemed oddly quiet with out my best friend. My family was crowded around our small table, all chattering happily and scooping themselves casserole and salad, discussing spring break next week and the meets tomorrow. I sat down at my normal place, where the youngest child had always sat, and smiled as I served myself some of mom's steaming food. 

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a/n: well people??? Whad'ya think? Please review- I will try & get the next chappie up ASAP!! Thanx bunches!!! -a


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